Westlife heart throb Shane’s Lancashire gig

Shane will play 13 headline dates across the UK and Ireland next year which includes a performance at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on March 1 next year.

Shane said: “I’m so excited to be heading out on my first ever solo tour.

“The album You and Me means so much to me and I cannot wait to play these songs live in front of an audience, and of course there will be some old fan favourites from memory lane and a couple of surprises in there too.”

Filan will release his debut solo album You & Me through Capitol Records on November 4.

This follows the success of his debut single Everything To Me.

The next single About You will be released a day before the album – November 3. The song has been written by Shane with Steve Mac and Wayne Hector, who wrote Flying Without Wings for Westlife.

Shane co-wrote a handful of Westlife songs, but his solo album saw emerge as a pop writer in his own right.

“I got off to a really good start.

“Everything To Me felt like beginners’ luck, but I didn’t know how good it was, then the label were phoning me saying ‘this is great!’

“I’d shown to myself I could do this and that took the pressure off,” he said.

“I was flying in those first two weeks and then suddenly I was in Nashville with really famous songwriters, partly thinking ‘WOW!’ but also ‘Right, let’s do this’.”

While Shane’s financial problems have been well documented, the album is an extremely positive collection of songs. He added: “People don’t want to hear about your problems. Everyone has problems, lots of people are struggling financially at the moment and it’s not something to harp on about. What I got out of my situation is that I’m so lucky to have three healthy kids, a healthy marriage and an amazing wife.

“That’s what the album is about – trying to tell people not to worry. I’ve been there and it’s not worth it.

“You get through it and you try to stay positive, so I’ve tried to keep the songs positive.”

Tickets, £31.50, are available from www.blackpoollive.co.uk or the Winter Gardens box office 0844 856 111.